*We will be having a pre-trip meeting for you to prepare for the trip on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 6:00 pm on the Essex campus. Room J-100. Please RSVP to Ingrid Bortner, 443-840-1933 or Terry Walter, 443-840-1717

Overview:

During this 10 day trip, you will fly into Milan, the financial capital of Italy, and transfer via Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet, to Venice, the magical home of Marco Polo! In Venice, you will see St. Mark's square and the beautiful St. Mark's church, the Grand Canal, and the 324 foot campanile (bell tower). Look for the clock where two bronze figures have been striking the hour for 500 years! Venice is famous for its glass blowing of which you will see a demonstration. There will be a visit to the Doge's Palace, where the Venetian Dukes once ruled, and the Bridge of Sighs, connecting the palace to the prison. You will then transfer to Florence and fall under the spell of thr powerful Medici family. There you will see the Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi Palace, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace, Uffizi and much more. You will marvel at the magnificent Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, know as the Duomo and its campanile, and the famous Gates of Paradise, designed by Ghiberti. You will continue on to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Fancis and St. Clare. From Assisi, you will continue on to Pompeii to learn how the wealthy Romans lived 2,000 years ago. Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79 and buried the resort with volcanic ash, which also preserved it for us today. The trip will continue on to Rome, the Eternal City, where Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the pope in A.D. 800. There you will visit Vatican City and the famous Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo painted his wondrous ceiling between 1508 and 1512, painting while lying on his back. You will also have a tour of Rome to see the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, one of the best preserved ancient buildings in the city, and much more. There is an optional 2 day extension where you will have more time to explore this magnificent city.